Potato Review

www.potatoreview.com POTATO REVIEW NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 13 TRAP CROPS F our farmers in Shropshire and Lancashire are looking at an alternative control method that uses plants known as trap crops that naturally ward o the pest. rough the Innovative Farmers programme, they have teamed up with Andrew Wade (OptiGro), Ivan Grove (independent), Matthew Back (Harper Adams University) and Anne Stone (AHDB Potatoes) to co-design a practical trial on the best way of establishing trap crops in UK soils. With potato cyst nematode (PCN) being the UK’s primary potato pest, infecting around 65% of land used to grow potatoes, growers are currently relying on a combination of techniques including chemicals, extending rotations so that potatoes are only planted one in eight years, or selecting resistant varieties while research is ongoing. PCN trap crops are now being considered as a viable alternative. PCN trap crops are better described as ‘deceiving’ rather than ‘trapping’ plants. e chemicals released from the trap crop roots signal the presence of suitable food and trigger the nematodes to emerge from their safe hiding place in the cyst. e nematodes begin feeding on the trap plant roots instead of the potatoes, ahead of potato cropping. A double bene t is gained with this control - by consuming the trap plant, instead of their optimum host potato plant, the nematodes cannot accumulate enough energy to reproduce and complete their life cycle, thereby reducing the chances of subsequent infestation within the soil. In the trial, the farmers drilled the trap crop seeds in late June/early July, shortly after cereal harvest, and a second sowing took place one month after the rst. Two ➜ Deceiving the pests Trap crops are being trialled as an alternative method for controlling nematodes by four potato growers. We report on their ndings so far. The team have a field lab meeting The first trap crop, Solanum sisymbriifolium (sticky nightshade).